Gym rent, kit, qualifications — tracked in one app
Pay weekly gym rent. Buy resistance bands, mats, dumbbells. Renew Level 3, get specialisations. Drive to outdoor clients. All tracked.
Gym rent is the big bill — but the small kit and CPD really add up
A typical UK personal trainer pays weekly gym rent (£100-£300), buys kit throughout the year (bands, mats, weights, ropes), invests in CPD (specialisations, nutrition, GP referral), pays insurance, and uses programming software (TrueCoach, TrainerSize, MyFitnessPal Pro). Annual deductible expenses easily exceed £6,000.
What PocketReceipt tracks for personal trainers
Gym rent
Weekly or monthly licence-to-train fees. Tagged as rent, 100% allowable. Track per gym if you work multiple sites.
Equipment & kit
Mats, bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, ropes. Capital allowance flagged on bigger purchases.
CPD & qualifications
Level 3 renewals, GP referral, kettlebell instructor, nutrition courses. Fully allowable CPD.
Programming software
TrueCoach, TrainerSize, MyPTHub, MyFitnessPal Pro. Categorised as software.
Mobile mileage
GPS or manual log to outdoor clients, parks or client homes. HMRC 45p/25p auto-applied.
Insurance & trade subs
Public liability, professional indemnity, REPS / CIMSPA membership. Categorised automatically.
A typical PT's week, tracked
- Monday — pay weekly gym rent, receipt forwarded
- Tuesday — pay TrueCoach monthly subscription, scan receipt
- Wednesday — buy new resistance bands and mats, scan receipt
- Thursday — pay for an online nutrition CPD course, receipt scanned
- Friday — drive to a park session with an outdoor client, mileage logged
- Sunday — export weekly summary to your accountant
FAQ for personal trainers
Can I claim my gym rent?
Yes — licence-to-train fees paid to gyms are a 100% allowable business expense. Get a proper invoice from the gym, not just a verbal arrangement.
Are CPD courses deductible?
Yes for courses that maintain or develop your existing PT skills. Brand-new unrelated qualifications may be capital, not revenue. PocketReceipt's tax forecast assumes revenue treatment.
Is my own gym membership allowable?
Generally no — HMRC treats it as personal benefit. The exception is if you train clients there and the membership is the price of access (i.e. licence to train).
Can I claim my online programming software?
Yes — software used to deliver the service is 100% allowable. Apportion if there's significant personal use.